Friday, August 22, 2008

San-O Beach Tip No. 89: Bocce Rules




















Yes, you've got it right. It's 3 points for a hit and 1 point for closest, but right now I just want you to point to the ball closest to the pallino because we have 4 more to throw.

Complete San Onofre Bocce Rules in comments section.

4 comments:

Sydney Carton, Esquire said...

SAN ONOFRE BOCCE RULES

PLAYERS: Two teams consisting of two players.

EQUIPMENT: All sizes of bocce balls are allowed, as long as both teams use the same size bocce ball. Should a mutual agreement not be reached as to what size/set to use, a coin flip or deference to age shall determine the set used. The bocce set consists of eight large balls, four of one color, four of another color and one small target ball called the "pee," "jack," or "pallino."

GOAL OF PLAY: Players seek to hit the target pee with their bocce ball, or at least place their bocce balls nearer to the target pee than their opponent, or displace the opponent's bocce ball (or their partner's bocce ball) and so improve the lay/position of their bocce ball (or their partner's bocce ball) in relation to the pee. Any ball propelled into the target pee by legal play (including acts of nature) is considered to have hit the target pee, and is scored as such. (Note: The pee being propelled into a bocce ball does not count as a hit.)

TERRAIN: All terrain is open for play, but the throwing of the pee into areas that may cause damage/loss to the equipment (e.g. concrete surfaces, the surf line) is considered bad form and is grounds for rethrowing of the pee. Any pee toss may be repeated when agreed to by both teams.

THE PLAY: The team to initiate play is determined by a coin toss, or loss of the previous game -- "Sucker's lead." This Team A initiates play by having one member throw the target pee out into the field of play. He/she may toss the pee ball any distance and in any direction that he/she chooses with one proviso, the toss must be within a reasonable physical capability (please note that capability does not mean accuracy) of all player's involved, or at least the average player's capability involved in the tournament as determined by an official (Remember, the purpose of this game is victory through fair competition, and recognizing limitations due to age/sex is displaying sportsmanship). The default distance commonly used is sixty feet as the crow flies. This same player then rolls or throws (underhanded, palm up or down) a bocce ball at the target pee. This player then steps aside and does not bowl again until the opposing side has bowled one of its bocce balls closer to the pee. A "hit" on the pee is defined as the epitome of closeness. Whenever a team gets closer to the pee, it steps aside and lets the other team bowl. This continues until one side has used all its bocce balls, at which point the team with remaining balls complete their turns. Players must follow their proper turn throughout the game. A player must use all their balls at each turn, unless they get "closer" with their first throw. Subsequent rounds are initiated by the player being closest to the pee on the previous round, or by the player having hit the ball first in the case of equal hitting by team partners. In the case of null score rounds, play is initiated by the player who was closest in the most recent round in which points were scored.

Special Notes on Play:

1) When a hit is made on the pee by a team's ball -- for discussion consider this Team A, Team B must throw until they hit the pee an equal number of scoring times as Team A's balls have through the legal course of play. When this is accomplished, the bowl returns to team A where they then attempt to hit the pee to break the cancellation/equivalency of hits.

2) When a player hits the pee with their first ball, and the other team exhausts their balls attempting to cancel this hit, this player may defer the throwing of their second ball until after their teammate has taken his/her turn (i.e., thrown both balls).

3) Once a ball has hit the pee it cannot score again in any other manner, either by closeness or repetitive hitting of the pee.

4) The initial pee toss should place the pee in play such that it is plainly visible. Subsequent play may change that condition (and that's the way it goes).

SCORING: When all balls have been thrown, the referee shall proceed to score the round based on hits to the pee and measurements of closeness to the pee based on the outer dimensions of the pee and bocce ball. Each ball that is closer to the target pee than the nearest ball of the opposing team scores one point. In case of a tie between two balls of opposing teams, the balls cancel each other's score. A "hit" is scored as three points. Hits by opposing teams cancel out on a one-to-one basis. Rounds having an equal number of hits by opposing teams are a null round with no points scored. As a hit has been defined as "closest," a team with more hits than the opposing team may still score their hits in excess of the opposing team's hit(s), and single point value closeness points provided these balls have not directly hit the target pee. Games are normally played to 21 with the following addendi: skunk is 11 to 0; teams must win by two points ( e.g., 21 to 19, 22 to 20, 28 to 26).

Huevos Rancheros said...

Mr.Sidney, I read your rules. Are you familiar with verb comvaluted?

Anonymous said...

Might be he'd understand if *CONVALUTED* was spelled correctly.

Anonymous said...

Actually this is a game of Basque origin called "Petonk" also commonly known in France as "Boulles" or "Balls" in English. The nice young lady is motioning to Archy the he has 3 balls, spin you only have one. Regardless both of you are deformed.

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